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Latina in Politics: Building a Career in Data Without a Blueprint
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In this episode of Embracing Your Voice, I sit down with Rosa Mendoza, Vice President of Account Management at Global Strategy Group. Rosa opens up about her journey from aspiring lawyer to data powerhouse in Democratic politics. From manually building spreadsheets to leading analytics for national campaigns like Kamala Harris’s 2020 presidential run, Rosa shares how saying “yes” to unexpected opportunities helped her uncover her true path and purpose. If you’ve ever felt like your journey didn’t make sense—until it did—this episode will speak directly to you.
Key Takeaways:
- How Rosa’s pre-law background transformed after volunteering on Obama’s campaign
- The power of curiosity and how it shaped her data career
- Learning to code on the job and trusting your intuition
- The role of community and purpose in political campaign life
- How mentorship and asking questions accelerated her growth
- Navigating cultural expectations while forging your own path
- Becoming a pollster—and finally helping her family understand her work
Timestamps:
00:00 – Intro and Rosa’s Pre-Law Origins
04:30 – Discovering Politics Through Obama’s 2012 Campaign
09:15 – From Volunteer to Full-Time Political Work
13:20 – Falling Into Data Analytics by Following Curiosity
19:00 – Building Skills on the Job (and Googling Everything)
23:45 – Behind the Scenes of Campaign Life and Data Culture
29:30 – Leading Analytics for Major National Organizations
36:00 – Making a Career Make Sense to Family
41:50 – What She Loves About Her Role Today
46:10 – Final Thoughts and Advice for Listeners
In this episode of Embracing Your Voice, I talk with Rosa Mendoza, who shares her powerful story of transformation—from pursuing law to leading major data analytics in political campaigns. Rosa walks us through the pivotal moment she shifted her path: volunteering for Obama’s campaign in 2012. What started as community engagement soon became a full-blown career in progressive politics.
Rosa opens up about learning to trust her instincts, taking on roles she didn’t feel fully prepared for, and embracing her natural curiosity. Her story reveals how she transitioned into data analytics—despite having no formal background—and how she taught herself to code by simply Googling, asking questions, and figuring it out one step at a time.
We dive into the campaign world, where Rosa describes what it was like building something bigger than yourself alongside a team of mission-driven people. She also reflects on how her identity, upbringing, and immigrant parents' expectations shaped her resilience and drive.
By the end of the conversation, Rosa explains how becoming a pollster finally helped her work “click” for her family, and she shares what keeps her energized in this new phase of her career.
Guest Information:
Rosa is Vice President of Account Management at The Global Strategy Group an award winning full-service communications, research, and public affairs agency. Global Strategy Group or GSG is a highly respected agency that has worked with top Fortune 100 companies, leading national advocacy organizations, as well as federal and state elected officials Rosa came to the firm having worked in Democratic politics for years. She started her career in politics during Obama’s 2012 Presidential reelection campaign and has served in numerous data-driven roles for NextGen, the Human Rights Campaign, and Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Rosa most recently served as Chief Analytics Officer for Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign. Rosa graduated from Florida Gulf Coast University, earning degrees in Economics and Political Science
Learn more about some of Rosa's work at the Global Strategy Group especially on the Hispanic/Latino thoughts on some of the important issues in te US https://globalstrategygroup.com/2024/07/23/latino-lens-2024/
If you enjoyed the show and you want to join our community of other women of color who are embracing their voice head over to https://embracingyourvoicepod.com/
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